MY LIFE IN TRAINS
My Story - Photography Ground Zero
Why I Was Given a Camera and Became Hooked on Railway Photography
Switzerland – July and August 1959
My Dad had an old Kodak folding camera, and very rarely I was allowed to take a picture – film was a precious commodity. It produced small, rectangular negatives and contact prints – 3.5 x 2.25 inches. I still have the camera, and loads of the negatives and prints to this day
In 1959, my school arranged a summer trip to Kandersteg in Switzerland, and my parents said I could go. Even better, they bought me a camera and light meter. The camera was a Zeiss Ikon Contina Mk1a, a fairly basic viewfinder 35mm with a good lens, as you’d expect from Zeiss. I had this camera until it was stolen from my student flat in 1969 while I was away for Christmas. I hope someone got many more years of use out of it. They are still to be found on Ebay.
I learnt to use my new toy in my garden, and at New Barnet and Elstree stations, before I was let loose with it in Switzerland. And, of course, while in Swizerland I did manage to photograph some trains!
All Photographs, apart from the Zeiss Contina and Weston Master Mark III, by Alan Lewis Chambers ©
Zeiss Contina 1a and Weston Master Mark III
On the train from Calais to Basle at St Dizier on 27 July 1959.
On the train from Calais to Basle at Charmont on 27 July 1959.
SBB FFS Ae 6/6 Co-Co Electric No 11443 at Basle station on 27 July 1959.
DB Bo-Bo Electric No E10-172 at Basle station on 27 July 1959.
Spiez Station - BLS Ae 4/4 No 253 and BLS C No 401 on 5 August 1959.
BLS Ce 4/6 No 306 shunting at Spiez on 5 August 1959 - sorry about the quality, this slide has suffered over the years,
but I thought it might be rare enough to include.
Kandersteg - BLS ABFe 4/8 Railcar Set No 750 heading down the valley on 7 August 1959.
Kandersteg - SBB Re 4/4 No 10025 heads an express to Italy on 7 August 1959.
Kandersteg - BLS Ae 4/4 No 258 heads a northbound express from Italy on 7 August 1959.
Kandersteg - BLS Ae 6/8 No 206 pauses on a southbound freight on 7 August 1959.
Kandersteg - BLS BLS Te 2/2 No 3 shunts a car transporter wagon on 7 August 1959.
Kandersteg - BN Fe 4/5 No 795 heads a southbound mixed train on 7 August 1959.
Thun - SBB Ee 3/3 No 16386 rests from shunting on 7 August 1959.
MY LIFE IN TRAINS
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My old guvnor at Photomatic where I worked when I left school used to have a pre war 35mm Leica. I know a camera shop that sells them in Newcastle and they are fetching over £300, your Zeiss Ikon well I haven't seen many of those about.